Walk With Us: JDRF One Walk 2019

A Letter from Doctor Emily

Hi Everyone! My name is Dr. Emily Kennedy. For those that don’t know me, I am very friendly, so please say hello when you see me!

I have had Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for 29 years. (Type 1 Diabetes is the new name for Juvenile Diabetes. Not everyone with the disease is diagnosed as a ‘juvenile,’ so the name was changed formally.) I was diagnosed with Type 1 at the end of May in 1990 here at the University of Michigan when I was four years old. T1D is a very challenging disease that affects almost every aspect of my day — work, food, exercise, leisure, and sleep. There is still no cure for diabetes, though significant progress has been made. Children or adults may develop complications in all of the parts of the body that have blood, which means every part of the body! The eyes, toes, heart and kidneys can all fail over time. I invite you to join with me as we fight a very very good fight to support research to cure diabetes so that no child or adult ever needs to fear complications from T1D again!

I have been very fortunate so far. My diabetic doctor has said that he doesn’t think my life will ever really be negatively affected by those complications, and that my newborn daughter June will probably never have the disease, either. Unfortunately, most patients aren’t so lucky. My uncle was also diagnosed with this disease at age four; he has since passed away from diabetic complications and we miss him dearly.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) was founded 48 years ago with the mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. My mom and dad, Dr. Dan Kennedy, started the first JDRF Walk here in Ann Arbor 26 years ago. Ann Arbor Smiles is inviting family and friends to walk with our team at the JDRF One Walk this year! The walk is a fun family friendly event with great before and after activities! The Walk takes place on Sunday morning, September 15th at beautiful Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter. We will provide a team t-shirt and the chance to win five different Visa gift card prizes to those who register and walk with us. You can access our registration page here.

If you are unable to come but wish to donate, you can support our team by making a donation. Any amount is welcome and appreciated! You are also welcome to share this invitation with others and join me in JDRF’s mission to turn Type One into Type None! Thanks in advance for your consideration.

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. We are very excited to announce that per the Governor’s orders, we are allowed to resume seeing all dental patients again, beginning today, May 29th, 2020. Maintaining good oral health by preventing periodontal/gum disease, cavities and tooth loss is just as important now as it's always been.